FEBRUARY 2021 EVENT: PART ONE

[robbies]

 

CHAPTER TWO, PART 1: A LIGHT LUNCH

Good times, great olives, Uliveto's.

INVITES AND INSISTENCES | BISQUE AND BREADSTICKS | FONTINA AND FOCACCIA | MUNDANITY AND MISHAPS

---

INVITES AND INSISTENCES

After a fairly low-key January, you start hearing the buzz on February 1st: The Happy Homes Association is inviting you to a luncheon on Friday! Stylishly dressed women in coats and hats are inviting everyone they know in the neighborhood, coming up and knocking on your door to invite you personally to come along. “Noon on Friday at Uliveto’s,” one of them tells you with a bright smile. “There’ll be food and drinks, and the whole community can get together and mingle a bit!”

Whether you’re home to answer the door or not, you’ll receive a small card advertising the event — it’s a fundraiser, after all, and they need your help! Pay just $3 and your food and as much as you’d like to drink are covered.

But some of the HHA members are a little more insistent, roving the neighborhood in search of anyone who’s just moved to Santa Rosita in the past few months. Their almost too-wide smiles and slightly-vacant eyes are a dead giveaway that these neighbors aren’t all at home, and they aren’t willing to take anything less than a “Yes” when they ask you if you’re coming. You’ve got to wash your hair? They know a hairdresser over at the salon on Main Street who can fit you in today. Groceries? Why, their daughter can take care of that for you in a jiffy! No excuse will fly with these Robbies; they’ve always got an answer and a way for you to make an appearance.

It won’t end once you’ve agreed, either (even if you just agree to get them off your back!). With the promise of another guest at the luncheon, the Robbies are quick to suggest that you should help them! There are so many people in the town, after all, and with more people volunteering to spread the word, they can make this the most successful fundraiser ever! (Or, well, at least the most successful since last year’s Little League candy sales!) Look, there’s another of your new neighbors over there — why don’t you go and invite them now? Your new friends from the HHA will be right here to support you and help you out!

↑ back to top ↑

---

BISQUE AND BREADSTICKS

On Friday, February 5th, Uliveto’s is easy to find — just follow the train of cars headed to North Santa Rosita, where the restaurant sits just off of Main Street with a parking lot that’s packed full. Hopefully you’re willing to walk, because it looks like the luncheon is in full swing! But as you get closer, you see that the ladies of the HHA have things down to a science as they welcome neighbors, invite them to join one of the many tables set up in the half of the restaurant they’ve taken over, and integrate newcomers into conversation.

“Oh, hello!” one of the ladies gushes as she spots you. “I’m so glad you could make it! It’s a little cold today, but you should try the tomato bisque — it always warms me right up! Come with me and Betty can get you all set up with your meal voucher; have you ever been to Uliveto’s before? It’s just divine; the salad and breadsticks are all you can eat and the pasta — golly, my mother never even tried to outdo it. We’d just come here instead!”

Before you know it, you’ve paid your entrance and have been shown to one of the large party tables (or maybe they’re multiple tables pushed together? What restaurant normally has tables that seat 20 people?), a waitress offering you the drinks menu and asking if you’d like to start with a glass of (nonalcoholic, of course!) wine. Once she’s gone, you’ll finally get a chance to look around the interior of the restaurant. The walls are a warm yellowed beige, and fluted columns break up the space with clinging ivy and grapes hanging from planters near the top. A mural is painted on the far wall of a terrace looking out over rolling hills and vineyards, and the soft music of an accordion reaches your ears…

“You all right, hon?”

One of the ladies at your table is looking at you expectantly. Don’t forget, you’re here to mingle and socialize! Time to break out that small talk!

↑ back to top ↑

---

FONTINA AND FOCACCIA

As the luncheon continues, you may be able to notice some of the HHA volunteers scurrying back and forth, taking turns manning the doors and the small table where Betty’s taking donations and issuing meal vouchers. Watch long enough and you’ll be able to see that all of them are ultimately reporting to three ladies who confer at a smaller table set back from all the mingling, talking amongst themselves and from time to time making notes in a small ledger. At about half past noon, one of the women stands, calling out, “May I have your attention, please?” She has to repeat it a couple times to be heard, but after a minute or two everybody settles down. The woman nods toward all of the guests, then turns back to the table, allowing one of the women to stand and make herself known. Tall, graceful, and neat, she takes a look around the room as she speaks — does her gaze linger a moment on you? Good afternoon, everyone. For those of you who may not know me yet, my name is Rosemary Craven, and I’m the head of our local Happy Homes Association. A small wave of applause breaks out from some of the ladies; Rosemary seems to indulge them for just a moment before she lifts a gloved hand to quell it. Please. I can only manage what I’m given, and the fine women of the association give me plenty to work with. Their efforts to organize this luncheon for all of us today showcase the dedication we should all strive for. Ladies, please stand and be recognized. Today’s fundraiser is to benefit our town as Founder’s Day approaches in April. We’ve got big plans for the funds we raise — who knows? Perhaps we’ll be able to afford some yummy treats for the children. Who doesn’t love an ice cream cake? Your generosity today makes all of this possible. You’ll forgive me for not giving you hard numbers, but I’d hate to be so gauche in such a lovely restaurant. Let me assure you, though, that the Happy Homes Association is here to help you in whatever way we can, whether that’s by helping you redecorate your homes, bringing over home-cooked meals, or teaching you some new skills — and speaking of new skills, I’d like to invite all of our new neighbors to talk with me personally if you think you might be interested in helping us out from time to time. Sewing might not be your forte, but everybody’s got something they’re good at, and we can always use the extra hands. I’ll let you all get back to your meals. If you have any questions for me, please seek me out. I’ll be sitting just over here with Maude.

↑ back to top ↑

---

MUNDANITY AND MISHAPS

After the luncheon, things in Santa Rosita continue on as normal. The weekend comes and goes, the work week begins, and the cold February wind blows… But when you wake up on February 10th, some of you are missing.

↑ back to top ↑

---

OOC INFO

Welcome to the first part of February’s event! You can use this entry to top-level for the event, but feel free to utilize the log and network communities as well. Sign-ups to have your character abducted are located here; please fill out the form provided along with any other pertinent details.

You may play with the townsfolk NPCs as necessary in your threads; non-Robbied neighbors will be cordial and happy to make small talk and will try to maintain the pleasant atmosphere. Robbies will, as always, be mindlessly optimistic and complimentary about everything—you may find that most of the Robbies have congregated at their own table and are bubbling with excitement over just about anything.

There will be a top-level posted for Rosemary below. If you would like to have your character interact with her, comment with your starter there. The mods will respond to tags for Rosemary until February 15th.

Any questions can go in our FAQ thread below. Try to check and see if your question has already been answered on the plotting thread first here.

Remember — part 2 of this event is coming February 15th!

---

▶ NAVIGATION ◀
COMMS	logs | network | ooc | memes
OOC INFO	premise | rules | faq | taken | applications | hiatus/drop/canon updates | activity check | reserves | mod contact
SETTING INFO	calendar | setting | housing | npcs | death and tranquilizing | the story so far | event suggestions/engagements

Comments

[bowfaire]

Nice to meet you.

(Normally he would bow but it hadn't taken him long to figure out it was customary to shake hands here. See? He's learning. Adapting. )

Hah... you've never heard of it? (No surprise. Most people haven't. He hadn't seen any other familiar faces at the luncheon either. So it's really just him and Felix? Hm.) It's a pretty far away place.

(Very specific.)

I guess most people here haven't heard of it but the same can be said for a lot of other places here.

(He doesn't recognize a lot of the lands people claim to be from? He doesn't even recognize the one they're in right now.)

[bowfaire]

(Claude would argue Rosemary is certainly the leader of something and that something being the HHA. That must mean something.

Outwardly, Claude doesn't seem to react. His composure is the same as ever; relaxed and confident. He wears a pleasant sort of smile, like someone who is enjoying himself well enough but his eyes look forward, watching Rosemary and her peers thoughtfully. There are things on his mind but he won't vocalize them just yet,)

That's too bad. It sounds like they're trying their best. (And he shrugs, looking away to turn his attention back on Takame,) They're certainly involved, aren't they? I wonder what else they do around here. Do you know anything?

(Has he been around long enough to notice anything? Or is he, like Claude, new and still figuring this place out.)

Number Five | OTA

[oldmanfive]

I. BISQUE AND BREADSTICKS

[ Five only came to the luncheon out of curiosity. He's been trying to learn more about the town, since arriving. Considering how eager the organizers were for this fundraiser, he had to know what the hype was about. The downside to attending is the amount of touching he has to endure from various housewives in attendance. While he can tolerate the shoulder and back pats, it's the occasional pinches to the cheeks that makes him want to break someone's fingers. Though if he has to hear the phrase, 'Well don't you look dapper today, young man.' one more time, he feels he might shoot himself in the face.

However Five grins and bears it for the sake of appearances. It is honestly a relief when he gets seated and the waitress hands him a drinks menu. Though before she can finish the question about the glass of wine, he quickly cuts her off with a curt. "Coffee, black." followed by a smile that can hardly be considered a smile given the amount of teeth he is showing. The waitress blinks in surprise but writes down his drink request before pinching his cheek and then turning to leave. He merely inhales sharply, picking up his water glass for a sip.]

Do people around here, really not know how to keep their hands to themselves?

[ He mutters under his breath. He really hates this place so much already. So many people all up in his personal space and he has to fight the urge not to stab anyone. He sighs as he reads the pasta options. None of which appeal to him, but not like he'll say anything.]

Gosh...so many yummy options...how ever will I choose?

[ He says aloud, though his dry and sarcastic tone of voice cannot be contained.]

II. FONTINA AND FOCACCIA

[ Everything about the townies and the robbies unsettles Five. Truly he can't keep the comparisons to the Twilight Zone and Stepford Wives out of his mind. However it isn't until Rosemary stands and speaks, that Five feels as though he is having a moment of Déjà vu. Everything about her reminds him of someone else, that he refuses to name. So much so that he can't keep the frown off of his face.

For the briefest of seconds they make eye contact and he can feel a chill spread down his spine. Every fiber of his being wants to flee, but his stubborn nature keeps him rooted to his seat. He forces himself to pick up his coffee cup and take a sip in order to divert his attention. However the way he grips his cup likely gives away just how ill at ease he currently feels.

As soon as she finishes speaking, he excuses himself to go to the restroom as he needs a minute to regain his composure. Rosemary Craven is not, she who shall not be named, but damn if the voice and demeanor doesn't remind him of a certain platinum blond bitch that has a habit of returning from the dead. From one fake ass bitch to another, Five was just finding even more reasons to dislike this place.]

III. WILDCARD

[ ooc; If you would like to do something else before or after the luncheon. Feel free to contact me @ ariyanaforever | Private Message | Discord empressariyana#9091]

[bowfaire]

(It's okay, Rapunzel. You can say yuck. He won't blame you!)

You would think! But somehow it's like they've taken the worst things about the worst wines and bottled them up for our pleasure.

(It's like dry grape juice. Very sour and sharp... like tasting how someone imagines alcohol might taste? Horrible. At least if you had the real stuff, even if it was bad, it could give you a nice buzz or something? This has no value to him!!)

You can really judge a place by their drinks and so far? It's not looking too good.

[bowfaire]

(Claude has been taking advantage of the luncheon and enjoying the food, drink, and company. He seems to be having a good time. Isn't it nice to see the new folks settling in?

When he has a chance, he'll try to speak to Rosemary, though.)

Ah... Miss Rosemary? Or is it Mrs. Rosemary? Thank you for organizing all of this. (He's all smiles and polite,) It's really made me feel welcome here.

You've probably been real busy these days...

(With all of these new faces showing up and now this luncheon and already planning another event?)

[inpersonation]

[ it never hurts to have a lot of food at home. preferably stashed in your room, hidden away somewhere safe and accessible only to you. (plus bread is bread is bread. if it goes stale she can still eat it. it'll only, you know, be crunchier...)

bread talk aside: noelle beams at the idea, happily nodding in agreement. ]

Of yes- I think that'll be a good place for us to start. You and the others, if anyone else joins, are more than welcome to my house! I'm sure my- [ she hesitates to say the term and struggles to keep herself from making an expression. noelle never thought she'll need to say it again but here she is. ] -father wouldn't mind. It's also the two of us and I'm sure he'll be delighted with more people being in our house.

[bowfaire]

(Look, he doesn't like calling Felix his father either? It's weird! Especially when the last thing they both remember is being the same age. And now they're old enough to honestly be brothers? But he's used to faking so...)

I can think of a few others that might want to join. (Goodness knows, there are a few classmates that look just as restless as him at times, ) I don't think father dearest will mind too much.

(Because he probably will mind? But it's for a greater good so he can deal or something. )

So it's a date! ... Once we figure a date out.

[grice]

[ most of the ladies have been insistently cooing at how dashing falco is from his seat close to cassandra and erwin. they weren't actually his parents, but— he certainly did feel more comfortable sticking close by them now than he did with the other occasional children, know waddled into a group and talking amongst themselves about the raddest baseball card or the newest toy they've managed. boys circle with boys, girls with girls, and when being told he could go have some fun with the kids his age by a chipper and emphatic brunette mother (something about all the adult talk being so boring for him), falco has to decline to stay where he is.

what a grown-up little gentleman. really, he's just uncomfortable, and has at most only taken half a bite of a bread stick. not because it was bad, but . . . it was weird. the HHA? new neighbors should help them? falco can't say he feels absolutely confident in saying the woman was charming. he's a sharp kid. something was off, and he's seen more than one troubled gaze pointed at her direction, some people have even stood from their seats to excuse themselves. it wasn't a coincidence.

even more with levi who was far more likely to be sitting nearby. he watches the soldier's hardened glare toward rosemary for a few moments before clearing his throat. ]

Mister Levi?

[hoshikiri]

[In stark contrast to Claude, Takame's composure was stiff and neutral and only those who knew exactly where to look could pick up on his air of discomfort. Claude's smile made Takame want to air on the side of caution, he was asking questions. More than any native would.]

Indeed. More often than not, however, their speeches are met with success and applause. [From the natives. He waited until Rosemary left the stage before looking to his conversation partner.] I confess I'm lacking in knowledge of the Happy Homes Association. They're mostly composed of women. But this Rosemary's speech was similar in composition to one Mayor Clarke gave two moons past. [Which is to say, he's been here at least that long if not longer.]

[inpersonation]

I would love for all of us to meet within the month! [ noelle tries not to push too hard. the sooner she gets a better understanding of who else is in this mess, the easier it'll be for her to know who she can work with and who she needs to avoid.

a lot of the people here in this luncheon are an obvious keep away but if claude and his 'father'(?) are here, surely there are others in their situation who are poking around here too. identifying the would be great.

so she amps up her cheer, adding with an optimistic chirp, ] The sooner we work together, the sooner we can work out all sorts of problems.

[ she looks away now, making sure to hunch up her shoulders in a nervous tic, her expression sheepish but relieved. ] I admit, I was pretty... um, you know, pretty nervous when I found myself here. The idea of having to start up from scratch, and seemingly all by myself too, really scared me.

( prompt: post-luncheon, b! )

[inpersonation]

[ noelle pretends to jump when being addressed and she smiles nervously, pointing at herself like she's saying, 'who? me?' to him. ]

I was, um, planning to visit the town but that's about it. [ case the town for potential hit-ups and other things, to be more honest, but details, details. ] I haven't really gotten the chance to do that since I got here. Between school and helping out at the house... This might be my first chance to go out so I'm a little spoilt for choice, unfortunately.

[fanoperator]

"Oh, dumplings!" Huaisang identifies at once. He's still unclear on what 'pasta' is, exactly, but he absolutely understands what dough wrapped around filling is. He brightens cheerfully at being able to understand what one thing on the menu is, and he immediately wants to try the new strange dumplings. Grateful, he gives Daylight a beaming smile, then returns his attention to the menu. Only a second passes before he lifts his head again with another question. "... but what's 'pasta'?"

[fanoperator]

Huaisang is a strange trope, to be sure, with the long hair and hairpiece of a character from a historical Chinese drama, but a wide-skirted dress that makes his gender especially hard to pin down. He gestures at the Robbie who has followed him over and is not-so-discreetly 'supervising' to make sure that Huaisang really is cooperating and that Monika really does accept the invitation. His smile is warm but slightly pained at having this cheerful and relentless supervisor insisting on him getting involved with invitations. "Oh, this is Ethel here. Never takes no for an answer, our Ethel, but she's a wizard in the kitchen, always creating things so elaborate and inventive that they don't even seem like food!"

Since Ethel is behind and beside him, Huaisang risks a tiny grimace to communicate to Monika that Ethel's creations are really not edible. "She couldn't bear the thought of you missing the luncheon, and I agreed completely. Perhaps we can go together."

He casts a smile over at Ethel, brightly cheerful. "What fun!"

[fanoperator]

"That's a good question for ... well, many of the events here. Planned or unplanned." He wrinkles his nose, then gives her a bright smile so that their conversation seems completely mundane to any onlookers. "Don't worry," he murmurs, tone carefully modulated to not draw attention. "There are ways around it."

Alcohol is hard to come by in this place, but certainly possible. At this rate, he's going to start brewing his own.

Blinking innocently at her doubt over his ignorance, Huaisang regards her in return. He certainly looks out of place in the cheery environs of Uliveto's. His long black hair is topped with a crown-like hairpiece and an intricate braided bun, while his bell-skirted dress makes him distinctly androgynous, especially in the strictly-gendered world of Santa Rosita. "I'm from Ancient China," he explains, completely earnest.

ii!

[bibliophilicbells]

[Aziraphale spots Five by pure coincidence; he turns his head at exactly the right moment as Five breezes past, headed to the bathroom with a look on his face like he's having a Bad Time.

And that makes Aziraphale wonder, because surely a luncheon is much better than having your trauma broadcast for all to see — though his own memory of that feels fuzzy and strange, kind of dream-like despite his certainty that it did happen. It happened, and Archer and Crowley were tranquilized for being idiots, and Aziraphale had several cups of cocoa. Right? Right.

He hesitates, wondering if it'd be strange to follow Five, to offer his help again. Maybe the kid just wants to be alone. It's probably safe to assume that's what's preferred, and yet...

Aziraphale is not a great judge of anything, so he excuses himself from the company at his table to see if he can catch Five somewhere in the hall.]

[mandelbrots]

[His icebreaker receives a short laugh. She's heinous at appropriate small talk, and appreciates someone else throwing out a life raft first.]

I don't think I've been within a hundred feet of a country club in my life, dude. [A hearty gulp of the terrible wine. It's not growing on her, but maybe she can pretend.] But I've been living on peanut butter since I got here, and I can't cook to save my life. Some shitty banquet food's sounding real good.

bisque & breadsticks

[bibliophilicbells]

[Aziraphale is mid-bite of his latest breadstick, having lost count a few ago.]

Hmm?

[ — ah. Manners. He holds up a polite little finger, bidding the boy please wait until he's chewed and swallowed and dabbed his mouth with a napkin before responding. Once that's done, he flashes a smile and nods.]

I would, if you don't mind. It's delicious.

( prompt: bisque and breadsticks! )

[inpersonation]

[ oh hey, someone else who is annoyed as fuck over the fact people cannot fucking stop petting/touching them. the number of people who have reached out to pet her hair or touch her cheek has noelle left with her skin in a state of perpetual goosebumps and her contempt at an all-time high.

noelle nods, feeling vicious vindication to hear her complaints being aired out by someone else. it allows her to feel agreement with someone, especially with how its aired, and gives her a chance to stretch out her acting chops.

she affects a sheepish pout and nods in agreement, looking at him from the corner of her eye like she had caught his comment by accident. ]

It's rather rude. No matter how much I ask them to stop, they keep treating me like I'm a child. [ fucking please. she sighs, looking at the menu with interest because she's already wondering how she can bring this back home in her pockets that are already filled with breadsticks and other snacks being offered. ] All I can do is hope it'll at least stop during the meal. Can you imagine if someone tried to pat you on the head while you're eating?

[sunborne]

"Pasta is like noodles but pasta is thicker." That's a lot easier to explain, for sure. He pauses because, okay, no, sometimes noodles could be thicker depending on the type eating and hey no. Don't overcomplicate this, Daylight. "-They're also usually served with sauces made from meat and tomatoes and not, like, soup. Pretty good to eat from what I've been told."

Because, well, Daylight never got to eat pasta while growing up. Way too messy and finicky for his filtering systems.

[thepsyingnun]

Ah, Daylight. I trust your afternoon is free?

[She yells this down from their bedroom, where she currently has every piece of clothing that this world has given her laid out on the bed, puzzling.]

We must make a good impression on this association.

[thepsyingnun]

Agatha provides her number with a smile, waiting until Rosemary is done writing before speaking again.

"That would be a pleasure. Thank you, Mrs. Craven. I look forward to meeting with the entire association."

[apodictic]

You're new as well, correct?

[ angelo hums thoughtfully at her suggestion, and then says, ]

I will accompany you. It should prove interesting, if not instructive.

For the most part I've been busy with school and work, as well. [ nothing out of the ordinary. and if he's being honest, he's feeling a bit stir crazy. despite the stories he's been told, the fact of the matter is that nothing is happening right now. nothing is happening right now and angelo hates it because he is a naturally busy person, in general, but busy involves survival and combat. there is nothing of that here and he feels like his mind is going to eat itself from the inside out, a low buzz of annoyance that gnaws on him. ]

[apodictic]

.... do you intend to finish off the bread? Don't be greedy.

[ they go well with the bisque! leave some for others!

in any case he does generously give him a dollop of the bisque onto his bowl, and then angelo gets some for himself as well. ]

Nothing better than good food after work.

ii

[apodictic]

[ he'd stopped by the restroom for a bit having accidentally spilled some of the wine on him - too many people having to greet him throughout the luncheon makes for stupid little accidents - and angelo was just finishing up cleaning the stain and washing his hands when he walks in. he doesn't look well. ]

You don't look too well. [ angelo dries his hands on the side. ] Was the food disagreeable to you?

[bibliophilicbells]

Of course I intend to finish it.

[And the remainder of the basket, at this rate. It's not greed, it's gluttony. Get your sins straight.]

— thank you. You — [He continues, gesturing with the breadstick,] — are an unfamiliar face. Are you new here?